Fire and Ice (Ice 5)

Reno bowed again. He’d almost gotten out of the habit in the short time he’d been in England, but his grandfather was enough to scare the shit out of anyone. “We didn’t wish to disturb you, Ojiisan. We thought it was a matter for the Committee—”

“We?” his grandfather interrupted. “It is only by my kindness that I allow you and your cousin to work for this…Committee. But when it comes to matters of family I am the one who decides what needs to be done.”

Shit, shit, shit. Peter Madsen liked to think he was scary—he was nothing compared to the Old Man. Another goddamned bow. “Apparently she’s come to Japan to visit her sister.”

“And Taka-chan and his wife have gone to the mountains until the Russians can be dealt with,” his grandfather said smoothly.

Reno wasn’t surprised he knew so much—it would have been more astonishing if he didn’t. “We don’t know for sure that they’re Russians,” he said.

“Yes, we do. But the arrival of Su-chan’s sister is something new. Surely Taka would have told her not to come once he learned of the danger.”

“Apparently it was an impulse. She didn’t tell them.”

The old man’s expression signified his opinion of the younger generation, gaijin and impulses. “When is she arriving?”

“I don’t know, Ojiisan. She may be here already.”

“And where would she be staying?”

If it weren’t so cold, Reno’d be sweating. The wind was whistling down the alleyway, but compared to his grandfather it was tropical. “I don’t know.”

“Did you check the hotels?”

This was the tricky part. “I don’t know her full name. It’s Jilly…something. She’s Su-chan’s half sister and her family name is different.”

The sigh his grandfather emitted was so soft that the wind could have whipped it away. But Reno heard it. “Her name is Jillian Lovitz.” He snapped his fingers, and one of the men who’d emerged from the black cars hurried to his side. This was someone new since Reno’s banishment. His grandfather said something under his breath, and with a low bow the man returned to the car.

“Hitomi-san will find out what he can. In the meantime, you will come back to the compound and I will see what I can do—”

“No.”

The silence was absolute. His grandfather froze.

“No,” Reno said again, this time in a steadier voice. “Finding and protecting her is my duty, my responsibility. I don’t work for you right now, Ojiisan. I work for the Committee, as does Taka-san. I owe it to my employers and to my cousin to protect his sister-in-law.”

Kobayashi could come over and crush his bones, Reno thought, if his grandfather gave the signal, and the old man looked tempted. But he’d be damned if he’d run. “It’s my duty,” he said again, hoping to sway his grandfather.

A tiny motion of one hand, and Kobayashi relaxed. “And it is merely a coincidence that this young lady is a pretty young woman?” his grandfather said.

“I don’t even remember what she looks like.”

“Do not lie to me. You forget that I raised you. Surely there were enough gaijin in England to keep you busy?”

He could be just as calm as his grandfather. He said nothing—he’d already said enough.

But Reno was up against a master. His grandfather was silent, looking at him out of wrinkled eyes, and the only sound was the traffic beyond the alleyway and the noise of the wind. A moment later Hitomi-san emerged from the black car, an electronic tablet in his hand, and whispered something in his grandfather’s ear.

Reno would have given ten years off his life to know what the man said, but he’d be damned if he’d ask. He and Ojiisan were at a standstill—they would both freeze to the ground before either of them blinked.

And then, to his shock, his grandfather lifted his hand and beckoned him closer.

For a moment Reno didn’t move. Kobayashi would never catch him if he ran—maybe Ojiisan was bringing him closer to give his sumo bodyguard a clear shot. But pride demanded he approach, and if his grandfather had decided to dispense with him, in the end there wasn’t much he could do about it.

He stopped just in front of the frail old man. “The girl arrived earlier today. She hasn’t checked into any of the hotels—either she’s gone to Taka’s house or she found herself a ryokan. And I don’t think a gaijin would appreciate the beauty of a traditional Japanese inn.”

He wasn’t about to protest. He had no idea what Jilly Lovitz would appreciate or not. And why the hell did her name have so many fucking L’s in it? She’d probably done it on purpose, just to annoy him.

“Three Russian nationals with ties to the old KGB also landed in Japan, at Kansai airport a few days ago. We haven’t tracked them yet, but unless they had information as to where Taka and Suchan went, they’d head to Tokyo. Putting your little gaijin in danger.”